Adam Rogers holds the Cheers On-Premise BARometer Handbook that is sold to players it the liquor and beer and wine industry at his office in Norwalk, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. It just came out and is done by The Beverage Information Group in Norwalk. Rogers is a senior research analyst.

Adam Rogers holds the Cheers On-Premise BARometer Handbook that is sold to players it the liquor and beer and wine industry at his office, in Norwalk, Conn., Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. It just came out and is done by The Beverage Information Group in Norwalk. Rogers is a senior research analyst.

As consumers shake off the cautious spending they embraced during the recession, more want to buy a drink when they go out for a meal or share free time with friends.

Bars and restaurants are slowly rebounding from the economic downturn, according to findings in the Cheers On-Premise BARometer Handbook, published by the Norwalk-based Beverage Information Group.

The new consumer is well-versed in spirits, wine and beer, yet still demanding quality and value, according to Adam Rogers, senior research consultant at the group, touting the data provided in the ninth edition of the handbook.

"Our `On Trac Bar Managers Study' portion of the handbook represents 31 key metropolitan markets representing 23 states and the District of Columbia. A bar or restaurant will take away a better understanding of who their consumer is and their purchasing habits, current trends to watch and how to implement those trends into their current beverage alcohol program," he said.

Retail sales in 2011 for the on- and off-premise industry was nearly $192 billion, the group said. That's in a beverage-alcohol industry that provides 1.92 million jobs and wages of $40.82 million, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

The handbook also includes information on demand for specific brands, flavors and categories, featuring commentaries by Steve Beaumont, a beer authority and hospitality consultant; Doug Frost, who discusses changing tastes in wine; and F. Paul Pacult, publisher/editor of F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal.

It also has been expanded to include to show what's trending in the industry, such as Internet sites used by bar and restaurant managers to drive traffic, and information on leading U.S. brewpubs. There also is information capturing the craft spirit trend, detailing which brands are being carried.

The handbook comes in a variety of offerings, from the beer edition at $2,350 to the full edition at $4,995.

"It's primarily sold to spirits companies and manufacturers looking at the on-premise business. This gets into trends," said Brian Sudano, managing partner of the Beverage Marketing Corp.

"It's a major challenge understanding what the macro-trend market is."